After
by Izzu
Summary: Circa ep 46. So what comes after?
1. Chapter 1

Something that kept bugging me, so I write. Not sure where this will go from here but I'll try to get this piece to reach a completion. Wherever that leads on.

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><p><span>After<span>

By Izzu

o

o

_To be honest, he stopped wanting to care. His tears now ran dry._

_Whether to live or die or even doing anything at all. What's the point? Not like any of his action would do anyone good. Anything that he'd done so far had no worth. He'd never protected Team Gaim. That was all Kouta. Everything was all Kouta. He did not protect his brother; in fact, he was the one that hurt him the most. Protect Mai? Who was he kidding? Because of him, Sengoku Ryoma managed to kill her without much effort._

_That ghost was right. Everything he touches goes to ruin. Nothing he did ever benefit anyone. He couldn't care less. Whatever happens to him now, he would not bother to care._

xxx

"Sir, I can detect another life sign towards this building."

The Sergeant turned to the direction the soldier was pointing. "A clinic? How many of them?"

"Just one," said the soldier as the sergeant frowned.

"Just one? A patient... a doctor? Someone left behind during the evacuation?" muttered the sergeant to himself as he ordered the team to search the clinic.

xxx

The door opened without resistance as the soldiers glanced to each other warily.

"Eyes around you. We can't be sure that all of those monsters have really left," said the sergeant as all of them entered the clinic, dispersing as each of the soldiers searched the corridors and floors for any signs of life.

"Sir! Over here!"

Sergeant Kamata followed the voice towards the second floor as he rushed towards what it seemed to be a medical laboratory of some sort. He saw one of his underlings looking down towards something, before hurrying to get around the divider walls. When he arrived, he saw the soldier was standing in front of a hospital bed… with a teenage boy, sitting on the floor beside it.

Kamata knelt towards the boy to check if he was still alive.

"The kid didn't seem to respond to anything, sir. It's like he's not even aware of everything around him." The soldier tried to explain to him as Kamata tried to shake the boy to get his attention.

"Boy? Can you hear me? What happened here?"

The boy did not answer, despite being conscious. Kamata noticed that the boy's eyes had that glassy look, unfocused and soulless. But despite that he confirmed, that the boy was still very much alive and breathing. He sighed.

"Let's get this kid out of here. Perhaps there are still things we could do to help." said Kamata as he looked up towards the soldier. "Call out the others, we're heading back to HQ," he said again as Kamata gently slung the boy's arm around his neck and carried him on his back.

The boy remained silent as if he was just a lifeless doll, being taken away from its shelf.


	2. Chapter 2

Still trying to figure out things. It'll be a while before everything fit into place. Anything off or don't make sense, the reviews is there for any suggestion. Or PM.

Edit: Since new rumors of Gaim Gaiden revealed the name of the father, I'll eventually change it accordingly once that romanization is confirmed. Let me keep this name for a while. XD

Edit 2: Gonna start using Kureshima Amagi as the official name and replacing Masataka. It's been a good period, while having that name around. And from the rumours, Amagi's description didn't run too far from my headcanon of him. So nothing else would be changed as to the writing of the character. Same with the secretary OC, Kikuko that I created. But with regards to Toka, I'll be making adjustments in later chapters to how Kikuko will be portrayed in the future.

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><p><span>After<span>

by Izzu

o

o

Kureshima Amagi sat on his desk as he sighed. "Can't believe how easily things go haywire," He turned on his laptop as he assessed some of the records sent to him prior.

"Those politicians... so readily choosing the easy way out, resigning their posts when calamity happened. In the end, we _still_ have to take charge and fix things." He was silent for a moment as he read the documents. He looked up. "Have anyone sent word about the current status of Zawame?"

"JSDF confirmed there were no more signs of Inves or Helheim plants. Most of the survivors have been accounted," said the secretary as she flipped through some other files she was holding. "We have been relocating some of the remaining populace while the workers clean up the city from the wreckage and destruction. Most of the infrastructures in the city are still intact; there should not be a problem to recover some functions while the city is undergoing reconstruction. We could rebuild Zawame while gradually repopulate the city at the same time. It shouldn't be a problem. Most of the destruction are centered towards the Tower. The housing areas are mostly untouched."

Amagi nodded. "Thank you, Kikuko. As much as I hate losing most of Ygdrassil's resources and influence, Zawame is the city that I took pains to build. It'll be a shame to lose it now," he said as he browsed through the records of the Sengoku Driver users. "How's that child?"

Moriyama Kikuko looked up from her notes in surprise. "Ah? Umm..."

Amagi turned to stare at her as she hesitated.

"Well... I managed to get him to eat a bit. But Mitsuzane didn't seem as if he was even aware of his surroundings. Whatever happened in Zawame, it affected him really badly. I caught him arguing with himself the other day. Other than that, he seemed to not want to interact with other people and shut himself inside his room."

Amagi groaned in distaste as he got up from his desk. He wrote something on the paper and passed it to Kikuko. "I want you to find these people. They should still be under JSDF's custody. Have them meet me over here."

"Yes..." said Kikuko before excusing herself.

xxx

"So... what are we going to do after this?"

Jounouchi looked up as he stared at Chucky, sitting crestfallen beside Peko. She glanced towards him before turning towards Peko.

"It's been a while since I last contacted my family, it'll be weird if I do it now after so long. Can we get back to Zawame after this?" she mused as Peko got up from the makeshift bed.

"Why wouldn't we? You heard what those people are saying. The Inves, all over the world—not just in Zawame—and those Helheim plants; got sucked into those holes in the sky. There shouldn't be any reason why we can't get back after things quiet down again."

Jounouichi frowned. "But do you even want to get back there? After everything that happened these past months,"

Peko glared back at him. "Why not? Zawame's the only home I have... and I had some memories there. I can't just... that's where Kaito... and Zack—" His voice shook as another voice broke their dark atmosphere. A hand slapped Peko's back as he turned around to look.

Zack smiled. "Finally I found you guys! You have no idea how hard I tried looking for you... with so many people in this facility." He shrugged. "Why the glum mood?"

"ZACK!" the trio exclaimed.

"You're alive!" cried Peco as he was almost at the verge of crying. "We thought you have—"

Zack slowly maneuvered himself using his crutch before grabbing a chair to sit. "Well, Kaito didn't kill me. Despite my failure to set the bomb on him. That lady, Minato-san took it instead. The soldiers came to get me afterwards. Can't really get a view of what happened after Kaito left." He sighed. "But seeing that we all are still here, I suppose Kouta won. I... don't want to think what that meant for Kaito,"

Peko's smile turned somber as all four of them went quiet. He stared at one of Zack's bandaged leg and tried to imagine Zack fighting Kaito. That was not a good thought.

"_Non-non_... what's all these _sombre_ air? Keep your spirit up; no need to add to the depressive air."

The four of them turned around to find Oren walking towards them with a tray of food. His eyes lighted up to see Zack as he placed the tray down on the small table beside them. "Good thing I took some extra food. You children needs the extra nutrition anyway," said Oren as he divided the rationed food amongst them.

"Oren-san," Jounouchi finally spoke. "Any other news?"

The older man just shrugged. "The people around aren't that talkative. Everyone was busy managing the other Zawame residents; tallying all of the survivors and trying to find each others' family members and acquaintances. The soldiers kept walking in and out I couldn''t get any word out of them." He sipped on his juice carton. "For now, they're all busy relocating and resettling the residents. While the workers are sent to Zawame to repair all the damage before people are allowed to return."

"Return to Zawame..." Chucky worded slowly. "After everything, can we still go back to living the way we used to?"

Oren clapped his hands suddenly. "Now, now... don't get down so easily. All of you are still so young after all! Now that all the danger has passed, we have all the time needed to make new plans on what we can do once we come back to Zawame. I for one would want to reopen Charmant again."

Zack smiled. "Yeah, we had all the time now to think about the future."

"Indeed," said Oren as suddenly he heard someone calling his name...

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><p>Yeap, bringing daddy out again. Because there should be someone managing the situation (someone that knows the workings of Zawame well), and Micchi's not in the right mind to do anything. And I refuse to believe the whole YG just shut down after everything.<p> 


End file.
